Long before sandwiches were toasted and cookies were on straws, Peter Hastings and his wife owned an antique shop in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. This quirky shop was doing well, but the determined pair knew they could always do better. In 1977, they decided to start serving sandwiches to their curious, collecting customers. As time passed, the little antique shop slowly turned into the neighborhood lunchtime getaway. With lines reaching out the door and around the corner, customers enjoyed toasty warm sandwiches, homemade desserts and even live music in this unique atmosphere.

In 1996, entrepreneur Bryant Keil purchased the original shop and set out to spread the Potbelly love across the country, creating shops with the same neighborhood feel as the original. Today, the Potbelly magic continues as a publicly traded company, with more than 400 neighborhood Potbelly Sandwich Shops across the globe.